No. 6 ("Par Lui tout a été fait), for instance, is a tour-de-force of complex, independently moving textural components requiring a wide array of articulations and dynamics. Aimard's unflinching precision and control belies the work's technical difficulty, as does Osborne's equally rock-steady, somewhat lighter, more dance-like point of view. By contrast, Serkin voices the repeated notes in long, logical lines and employs subtle tempo modifications that heighten the music's inherent drama without losing the overall pulse. You can say the same for Serkin's amazingly multi-leveled performance of No. 16 ("Regard des prophetes, des bergers et des Mages"), where all the composer's middle-register hubbub comes across as clear as Mozart. Notice also the expressive potential Serkin evokes from the composer's soft block chords by way of tender melodic inflection (No. 4 "Regard de la Viegre", No. 9 "Regard du temps", and No. 15 "Le baiser de l'Enfant-Jésus").

Fine though RCA's remastering may be, I wonder if Serkin's prismatic sonority and tone color might gain even more dimension and presence if someone would remix the original eight-track tape (miked with quadraphonic playback in mind) for SACD surround-sound. But in the here and now, acquire this magnificent recording while you can.